IL1B and retinal degeneration: To directly assess the ability of microglial-derived IL-1β to contribute to photoreceptor degeneration via pro-apoptotic mechanisms, we inhibited IL-1β signaling during retinal degeneration by intravitreal injections of anakinra, a recombinant IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1-RA) at the start of rod degeneration.